Tv8 mont blanc

A group of mountaineers takes the 'Couloir du Gouter' on the 'Voie Royale" route to climb atop the Mont-Blanc peak on August 6, 2018. Photo: AFP France will impose a daily cap of 214 climbers on Mont Blanc next year, one of several measures taken to limit overcrowding on Europe's highest peak, a local official said Tuesday. "It's a tough decision but a very good one, because Mont Blanc is a climb unlike any other. You have to be prepared," Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex of Saint Gervais, the Alpine town where the most popular route to the top of the mountain begins, told AFP. More than 300 people have been pitting their wits against the mountain each day this summer season despite the growing risk of rockfall as high temperatures thaw more ground at higher altitudes. At least 16 have died so far this year, though just one has occurred on the busy "Royal Route". Police this summer began requiring aspiring climbers to have a reservation at … [Read more...] about France to tackle Mont Blanc overcrowding with daily cap on climbers

The increasing popularity of France’s majestic Mont Blanc as a tourism hotspot is giving way to a rise in recklessness and antisocial behaviour on the mountainside. That’s according to workers and authorities watching over France’s highest peak, who since this climbing season began have had to deal with a spike in insults and actual physical attacks from climbers. Last Wednesday a guide was punched whilst hiking past a group of eight people from Eastern Europe, on the grounds that he hadn’t let them pass. Another guide was insulted at the Goûter refuge (3815 meters above sea level) after asking a hiker to put an ice axe away while indoors. READ ALSO: A third guide was jostled to the ground by four climbers who weren’t properly roped up and were unhappy to be told about it. Several fake guides have also been apprehended on Mont Blanc’s routes to the summit. "Has the pinnacle of disrespect been reached? " Jean-Marc Peillex, local … [Read more...] about Climbers on France’s overcrowded Mont Blanc reach peak recklessness

Three Italian climbers were found dead on Friday (Aug 10) on Mont Blanc in the French Alps, three days after they set out to summit Europe's highest peak, rescue workers said. The body of Luca Lombardini was recovered by the mountain police rescue service. Those of his brother and his fiancee were located nearby but have yet to be retrieved. "They are probably buried under rocks and ice in an area covering a few dozen square metres," an official at the rescue service said. They were found around 1pm at the foot of the Aiguille Verte ("Green Needle"), one of the peaks in the Mont Blanc massif. "They were going along a ridge at an altitude of 3,400m to 3,500m, and it seems they slipped and fell together," the official said. The first body was recovered after rescuers cut the cord linking the three climbers, and attempts to recover the other two will resume on Saturday morning. The ascent was a birthday present for Luca, who was joined by his fiancee and his brother Alessandro, … [Read more...] about Three Italian climbers found dead on France’s Mont Blanc

Three Italian climbers were found dead on Friday (Aug 10) on Mont Blanc in the French Alps, taking the total death toll for Europe's highest peak to 15 this summer. The body of Luca Lombardini was recovered by the mountain police rescue service. Those of his brother and his fiancee were located nearby but have yet to be retrieved. "They are probably buried under rocks and ice in an area covering a few dozen square metres," an official at the rescue service said. They were found around 1pm at the foot of the Aiguille Verte ("Green Needle"), one of the peaks in the Mont Blanc massif. "They were going along a ridge at an altitude of 3,400m to 3,500m, and it seems they slipped and fell together," the official said. The first body was recovered after rescuers cut the cord linking the three climbers, and attempts to recover the other two will resume on Saturday morning. The ascent was a birthday present for Luca, who was joined by his fiancee and his brother Alessandro, himself … [Read more...] about Three more climbers found dead on France’s Mont Blanc

For many part-time mountaineers Mont Blanc provides the perfect opportunity to scale a high-altitude mountain, without having to travel to the Himalayas or the Andes. For many of us, it's on our doorstep and then makes the prospect of a shot at the summit even more tempting. And it's in the Alps, one of Europe's main tourists destinations, so what could go wrong. But don't be fooled. There's a reason, in fact there's a few, to explain why Mont Blanc has a reputation of being dangerous. Here's eight reasons to make you think twice about climbing Mont Blanc. (But naturally given the adventurers that we are at The Local, we thoroughly recommend you give it a try, and let us know how you got on.) Human wave: If you'd pictured yourself alone atop the summit of Europe's highest mountain, with not another soul in sight, it's best you wipe that image away. Because of the fact there are no restrictions to access Mont Blanc, it’s hard to say exactly how many people make the … [Read more...] about Climbing Mont Blanc: 10 reasons to think twice